Understanding day 2 and 8 Covid test

Sandtree

boatman said:
Ok, so why not just allow people to quarantine for 10 days without test?

Or, instead, allow or insist people take a 5 day test.

If you are already fully vaccinated, it all seems daft. Yes, i understand you can still catch it, but its been shown the chances of passing it on are very low because you probably won't have the coughing.

Because they explicitly want to sequence its genome to see if what you've brought in is something new or what we've already got.

bigfer

my daughter is returning from spain next month from her university year abroad. we will purchase a 2/8 day test kit suitable for returning from an amber country, so she can enter whatever reference numbers she needs to on the passenger locator form and then will qurantene at home for 10 days. 
I have absolutely no confidence in the processing and management of these 2/8 day tests, so i intend to purchase the cheapest one available.
Assume the box never turns up, or test gets lost or process dates are late. What will happen to my daughter? Will one of Dido Hardings goons hunt her down and will she be prosecuted? She will be quarantining for the full 10 days as she has nothing else to do and no money. 
I am not trying to beat the system here and i think i understand some of the flawed logic behind the tests, but i don't want to shell out more money for additional tests for something which is unnecessary or render my daughter to criminal charges. 

Any comments or recommendations regarding cheap kits? I assume you get the reference numbers via email before you receive the kits, so leaving spain and entering the UK will not be an issue, so long as the supplier is on Mattys list.

totallybored

I have absolutely no confidence in the processing and management of these 2/8 day tests, so i intend to purchase the cheapest one available.

Assume the box never turns up, or test gets lost or process dates are late. What will happen to my daughter? Will one of Dido Hardings goons hunt her down and will she be prosecuted? She will be quarantining for the full 10 days as she has nothing else to do and no money. 

You are right to have no confidence in the day 2/8 tests from private companies. My day 2 didn’t arrive on time and I don’t have my day 8 test for tomorrow.

When track and trace called on their daily quarantine call this was explained to them. Their response was to call 119 and get an NHS test. The private companies are hopeless and the response is for the NHS to sort out the mess. 

I used Citydoc which was one of the cheapest with a BA discount code. They sent the code needed for the PLF form to get back into the UK. That’s the only positive I can say for them. We contacted them before leaving the UK to ask why the tests hadn’t arrived within a couple of days of paying to be told that they only send them to be received on day 1 or day 2 of your quarantine. Needless to say this never happened.

I used Express test to get out of the country at a walk in centre and they were very good and doctap for a day 5 test to release were excellent and refunded the test as I was no longer able to take that test (now isolating after a positive case on the plane coming back!!).

stoneman

bigfer said:

Any comments or recommendations regarding cheap kits? I assume you get the reference numbers via email before you receive the kits, so leaving spain and entering the UK will not be an issue, so long as the supplier is on Mattys list.

Yes, don't go for the cheapest, there's a reason they are cheap. I have used HALO for PCR twice now, come out at £79 if you buy the combination 2 & 8 day. It's a spit test so not uncomfortable at all. 
They courier the tests to you, if bought before 5pm you receive them the next day. You get the code you need emailed as soon as you purchase. If you live in London you can    drop off, do this and you are likely to get your results the same day (We did). You book a pickup day as soon as you get the test, its collected the next day and you receive the results within 24 hours after that.

onashoestring

Some of the “ cheap “ test do not include cost of courier the test to the lab, you have to pay for that yourself, others do not guarantee the timescale for getting your results and some don’t offer a refund if they get the test or results back to you too late ( meaning you can’t end your quarantine) so check the T&Cs of the providers that you are considering using. Also good to check online reviews and lots of threads on here too .

silvercar

Your isolation doesn’t end until you have the results of the day8 test and after 10 days. So if the tests / results don’t arrive you have a delay. Phoning 119 will usually get an NHS test sent to you, but it could be day 11+ by the time you are released.

bigfer

silvercar said:

Your isolation doesn’t end until you have the results of the day8 test and after 10 days. So if the tests / results don’t arrive you have a delay. Phoning 119 will usually get an NHS test sent to you, but it could be day 11+ by the time you are released.

.....think i'll be out by day 10 

sheramber

bigfer said:

silvercar said:

Your isolation doesn’t end until you have the results of the day8 test and after 10 days. So if the tests / results don’t arrive you have a delay. Phoning 119 will usually get an NHS test sent to you, but it could be day 11+ by the time you are released.

.....think i'll be out by day 10 

Unless your daughter tests positive you do not need to isolate